Playing the Game
by BloodyRose93
Summary: The Game of Thrones is the most dangerous game of all. New characters come into the board, and they will change everything. War, politics, love and death come together. Chaos is everywhere, and the game... the game is all there is. And so it begins...
1. Chapter 1

Playing the Game

Hi everyone!

So, this is my new project. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, the story, and the characters

I've created several new characters for this story, so a brief introduction is in order:::

Lorrayne Arryn

Daughter of Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie, Lord Paramount of the Vale, Warden of the East and Hand of the King, and Lady Marianne Hightower

Twin sister of Kieran Arryn

Acting Lady of the Vale

Kieran Arryn

Firstborn son of Jon Arryn, Lord Paramount of the Vale, Warden of the East and Hand of the King, and Lady Marianne Hightower

Twin brother of Lorrayne Arryn

Lord of the Vale and Warden of the East

Inara Tyrell

Second child of Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South, and Lady Alerie Tyrell

Grand-daughter of Lady Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns

Freya Baratheon

Firstborn daughter of Robert Baratheon, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, and his wife Queen Cersei Lannister

Princess of the Seven Kingdoms

Willas Tyrell (not my creation, but he never appeared in the TV Show)

Firstborn son of Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South, and Lady Alerie Tyrell

Heir to Highgarden and the Reach

Lyna Baratheon

Youngest sister of Robert, Stannis and Renly Baratheon

Lady of Storms End

Regent of the Stormlands

The first chapter will be up soon

Kisses!


	2. Dark wings, dark news

**Hi everyone!**

 **First chapter is here. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **PD: English is not my native language, so forgive any possible mistakes**

 **Kisses!**

" **Dark wings** **, dark news"**

(Lorrayne's POV)

(The Eyrie)

It was a dark day in the Eyrie. The entire castle was so silent one could hear the wood creaking.

The great Jon Arryn was dead.

For the world it was a great tragedy. He was the Lord of the Eyrie, Lord Paramount of the Vale, Warden of the East and Hand of the King. An important man to say the least, and one of the pillars that kept the Seven Kingdoms standing. But for Lorrayne he was her father, and his loss felt like a gaping hole in the middle of her chest.

Lorrayne was Jon Arryn's first and only daughter. Both she and her twin brother Kieran were born from Jon's first marriage to Lady Marianne Hightower. The little twins had shed light in the Eyrie for the first time in many years. Sadly, Marianne has died a few years after Lorrayne and Kieran were born. Jon Arryn, who was never a man to give up easily, raised his children practically on his own for years.

To Lorrayne, he wasn't an important lord, or the Hand of the King. He was her father, the man who taught her everything. The man who always made her feel loved and cherished.

A black raven had arrived over a week ago from King's Landing, sent by her step mother Lysa Arryn, announcing the sad death of Jon from a strange illness. Dark wings, dark news, people often said.

Lorrayne was rather young, with seventeen years of age, but she was always perceptive and very smart, and she had seen her fair share of the world. And she sensed that something just wasn't right. Her father had always been a strong man despite his age. A death so sudden… It just didn't sound right. It made no sense at all.

Lorrayne had lived in the Red Keep with Jon for almost a year and a half, and she still remembered the last words he had said to her when he forced her to return to the Vale: "Danger roams these halls"

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock in her door.

"Lora? May I come in?" It was her brother, Kieran

"Come in" She said simply.

There was no need for polite manners with Kieran. They knew each other better than anyone, and they trusted each other with their lives. Ever since they were little kids, Kieran and Lorrayne shared a deep bond.

The door opened and closed, and a few seconds latter Kieran was seating next to her, staring at the fire. They didn't ask each other how they felt. It would have been a stupid question. They could tell what the other was feeling just by looking in their eyes.

"What do you think of this?" He asked

Kieran could easily tell something was rolling in her sister's mind

"I can tell you what I don't think. I don't think father was ill" She murmured

"Neither do I. something just doesn't fit in" He agreed

Lorrayne remained deep in thought, her eyes lost in the flames.

"Did you see anything strange when you were living there with him?" Asked her brother

"I saw a lot of strange thing when I was living there. That city is infested with lied, secrets and treason. And father knew this. When he sent me back here he told me that danger roamed the halls of the Red Keep" answered Lorrayne

"So you thing he was murdered?" Kieran kept going

"I think father found out about something. Something he wasn't supposed to know. And whatever it was, it got him killed" She said

She watched the flames dance, her mind running. She was trying to remember something. Anything that could have led to her father's death.

What could have been so bad to cause his death?

Kieran wasn't surprised. He knew his sister had a point. Ever since he read the news anger had been boiling up inside him, begging to be unleashed.

"We have to find out who did this Lora" He said, his hands were in fists, barely containing the need to hit something

Lorrayne looked up from the fire and into her brother's face. She could see everything. The anger, the sorrow, the pain, the frustration, the fear, the confusion. She took her brother's hands in hers and made him look at her

"We will. But it's not that simple. Secrets like this are dangerous Kieran. We need to be careful" She spoke in her calming voice

"Careful? I don't want to be careful. I want to put my sword through the person that did this to father" He said through gritted teeth

"I know, but we can't rush into this, or we will end up dead like father. You are very brave Kieran, but you are reckless too, and that can get you in trouble. I can't lose you too. I need you, I can't do this without you" she begged him.

Kieran's face softened and he put his arms around his sister, holding her close and comforting her as best as he could

"I know. I'm here. I'll protect you" He whispered

"We'll protect each other" Lorrayne murmured

They held each other for some time, staring into the fire. Lorrayne was trying to calm her mind and plan her next moves; Kieran was trying to control de anger inside him.

"What do we do next?" Asked Kieran. The question was simple and yet complicated

"We protect our own" She said "With father gone; the King is in need of a new Hand. And you know who will be the first on his list"

"Lord Stark" There was no doubt it.

"The danger that got our father killed is still there. The Starks are family. We have to warn them Kieran, we have to do something to protect them" she said

"So we ride for Winterfell then"

Lorrayne knew her brother would say that.

"No. I ride for Winterfell. You need to stay here. You are Lord of the Vale now, and Warden of the East. Your place is in the Eyrie" She tried to explain him

"My place is with you Lora, you are my sister. How can I protect you if I'm not with you?" The fear was clear in his voice and it was present in Lorrayne too

"I can protect myself, and I won't go alone. I'll take some of the knights with me. Winterfell is full of friends, I will be perfectly safe there, I promise" She answered

Kieran returned his gaze to the fire, a worried expression on his face.

"Dangerous times are coming brother. You need to prepare the Vale and protect our people" She insisted "We need to trust each other if we want to survive"

Kieran turned to look at her. "You know I trust you with my life" He said

"Then trust me with this, just like I trust you will keep the Vale safe from harm"

"I hate your stupid talent with words" he grumbled "One way or another you always manage to get away with it"

Lorrayne couldn't help the smile that came to her face

"One of my many talents" She joked

"When will you leave?" Asked her brother after a moment of silence

"Tomorrow. I need to get there before the King. I won't be able to talk to Lord Stark with the hole court roaming around"

Lorrayne wouldn't admit in front of her brother of course, but despite her sadness, she was excited about her trip to Winterfell.

It had been years since she had seen Jon Snow.

(Freya's POV)

(King's Landing)

It was a sunny day in the Red Keep, but as Freya looked through her window, she felt nothing but angst and concern.

Jon Arryn, her father's Hand, had died nearly two weeks ago. It had been hard on Robert. He loved Lord Arryn as a father, a mentor.

Freya was the oldest child of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister, and of all her siblings, she was the only one who resembled her father. She had dark hair and stormy blue eyes. A typical Baratheon, Robert was always saying.

Maybe this was the reason why the King has always had a preference towards Freya.

But, preference or not, politics were politics, and the crown needed new alliances and a new Hand.

For those two reasons, the royal family and the entire court were traveling to the North in a few days time. The preparations had been going on for many days.

It was known to everyone that the King wanted to ask his childhood friend, Lord Eddard Stark, to become his new Hand.

Although, Freya also knew that her father had the intention of uniting the houses Baratheon and Stark by marrying her off to the heir of the North, Lord Starks's eldest son, Robb.

She knew she had no way out of this. After all, it was the King's command. But what if she didn't like him? What if he didn't like her? What if she was mean or cruel? What if he despised her simply for being part Lannister?

The list of "What ifs" was endless in Freya's mind, but for the time being, she could do nothing but wait, and hope for the best.

They would leave in two days, but it would take them over a month to reach Winterfell, the seat of House Stark.

Freya was already praying for the North to be more welcoming than how her mother described it

(Jon's POV)

(Winterfell)

They were all having their evening meal. The family sat in the high table; he sat with the rest of the household. It was then when Maester Luwin entered the hall and bowed before his liege lord.

"My Lord, forgive the intrusion, but there are some news that need your immediate attention" He said

"What is it Maester?" Asked Lord Stark

"Two ravens have come my lord. One of them is directed to Lady Stark, from Lady Lysa Arryn. The other is for you, from the King"

Ned Stark knew in that very instant that it could be nothing good. The North rarely received much attention from King's Landing.

He gave Lady Stark the message from her sister, and opened the one from the King

His face suddenly morphed to one of deep sorrow.

"What is it my love?" Lady Stark had seen her husband expression and knew that they were no good news at all

"Jon Arryn is dead. A strange illness they say" After a brief pause he added "The King and the court are coming to Winterfell. They will arrive in a few weeks"

Everyone knew what that meant, for there was only one reason strong enough for the King to travel so far north. He wanted Ned to become the new Hand of the King.

"There's more my lord" The soft voice of the Maester broke the heavy silence

"Another raven?" he asked

"Not a raven my lord. A falcon, from the Eyrie. And if my memory serves me right, it is not just any raven either. It is Argos, my lord, lady Lorrayne's personal falcon" Maester Luwin explained

At this, Jon's head snapped up, interest flaming inside him.

He knew Lorrayne very well, and she rarely used Argos to deliver messages. It had to be something really important.

Ned took the message and read it intently.

"Apparently, there's something about Jon's death that she must discuss with me. In person"

He then addressed the steward

"Have the maids prepare a room right away. Lady Lorrayne is on her way to Winterfell as we speak"

Jon swore he felt his heart miss a beat. It had been years since he had seen Lorrayne. They were childhood friends… best friends really.

He couldn't help wondering if she would still look like the young girl he had in his memories.

He supposed he would find that our soon enough.

 **Alright, that's it for today**

 **Just so you know, I like to make a whole analysis of my OC characters**

 **I will be posting different things about this story in my new blog, so if any of you want to check it out to have a better insight on my characters, here is the link:**

 **. /**

 **Kisses!**


	3. Now you see me

**Hi everyone!**

 **Second chapter up. This is fully centered in Winterfell and is mostly about getting an insight of Jon and Lorrayne's relationship**

 **In the nex chapter I'll be introducing more of my OC characters**

 **Hope your like it. Kisses!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

" **Now you see me"**

(Lorrayne's POV)

(Kingsroad)

To say she was tired would be an understatement. She was exhausted.

They had been riding almost non-stop for over a week. She didn't complain though. She had wanted to arrive at Winterfell as soon as possible.

She has convinced Kieran to let her go with only a small party of Knights of the Vale. It was just Lorrayne and five other riders making their way through the Kingsroad. One of the knight was Ser Vardys Egan, a man she never liked, but who was a good fighter.

Besides, a small party had its benefits. They could move faster and easier, without calling unnecessary attention on themselves. Laying low was useful sometimes.

They were riding up a hill. Lorrayne reached her hand down and rub Asphalot's neck. Asphalot was a dapple grey stallion Lorrayne had found a few years ago, on her back to the Eyrie from King's Landing. She didn't know much about his origins nut Master Rembrandt, the stable master at the Eyrie, believed he was the brood of a warhorse based on his size and strength

Lorrayne has felt immediately drawn to the horse, from the first moment she saw him, wandering around as a youngling. Asphalot is not very trustful with people, but somehow Lorrayne had managed to take him with her to the Eyrie. With the help of Master Rembrandt she has broke and train Asphalot herself. She was the only one who could mount him.

"My lady" Lorrayne was snapped out his thoughts by the voice of one of her knights "If we keep this pace we should arrive at Winterfell by evening"

"Good" she answered "It will be nice sleeping in a bed tonight"

The rest of the riders chuckled lightly, agreeing with her

Lorrayne has a good relationship with most of the soldiers at the Eyrie.

Not many people knew this, but the young lady of the Vale was also a very skilled warrior. She had been trained in the arts of war since she was ten years old.

As the kept on riding, Lorrayne looked up to the sky. It was close to midday, so they still had several hours of journey ahead of them.

She was a little nervous about her arrival at Winterfell, not just for his impending conversation with Lord Stark, which she expected to be quite difficult. She was nervous because of him… Jon Snow.

She had been friends with him since they were seven years old, when she had come to Winterfell to be a Ward of the Starks

 _(Flashback)_

" _Father I don't want to do this" complained the little girl_

" _My sweet girl" Jon Arryn spoke softly to her daughter "Just give it a chance. Perhaps you'll like it here. Ned's sons are your same age, maybe you can become good friends"_

" _What if they don't like me? "What if they are mean like the other boys?"_

 _Jon Arryn knew the other kids often made fun of Lorrayne, mainly because of her looks. He also knew how that hurt her feelings, even though she tried to hide it from him._

" _They won't be mean" he tried to assure her "Ned is a good man. He will take good care of you, I'm sure of that. Spending some time in Winterfell will be good for you. You will meet new people and learn new things. Aren't you eager to explore all this new places?"_

 _Of course he knew that would do the trick. Little Lorrayne had always been extremely curious and she loved exploring and learning new things._

" _Alright" mumbled the little girl after a little pause._

 _Soon enough they arrived at the castle of Winterfell and Lorrayne was happy to find out they were all nice to her._

 _Robb Stark was indeed her same age, same as Jon Snow, Ned Stark's bastard son. Theon Greyjoy, another Ward at Winterfell, was a few years older than them._

 _They had prepared a nice room for her, close to Sansa's room, in the east wing of the castle._

 _The next week after their arrival, Jon Arryn left. He had to go back to King's Landing, and to his duties as Hand of the King._

 _That very afternoon, Lorrayne approached Robb and Theon, who were playing with wooden sword in the courtyard._

" _Hi" she said cheerfully to them_

" _Hi boulder" came Theon's nasty response, an ugly smirk forming in his face_

" _What?" Lorrayne was confused for a moment_

" _Boulder" this it was Robb who spoke "It's our nickname for you. You know, for your size. A little big for your age don't you think"_

" _Although, you are not just fat. You are a bit ugly too. Perhaps we should call you troll instead of just boulder" said Theon pretending to be deep in though._

 _Both Theon and Robb starting laughing hard. Lorrayne's eyes filled with tears. She was about to run away when she heard a voice behind her._

" _Shut up both of you!"_

 _Lorrayne turned around surprised, and she saw him._

 _It was Jon Snow_

 _She has seen him around but had never really talked to him. He always seemed to prefer being on his one, avoiding people's company, and he always such a serious look on his face_

" _Oh come on Jon, you have to admit it's quite funny" Robb said playfully_

" _It's not funny. You're being cruel and stupid" he spat out angrily_

 _Then he turned towards Lorrayne. "Would you like to see the Godswood?" he asked her_

 _Lorrayne could only nod slightly at the question. She didn't expect him to come to her defense against Theon, against his own brother._

 _Jon Snow turned around in the direction of the woods and motioned for her to walk with him._

 _They walked in silence for a while until he spoke again, his eyes firmly on the ground._

" _Don't be sad. They're just being foolish"_

" _They were only nice to me before because my father was here" Lorrayne said quietly_

" _Theon is an idiot. And Robb is foolish to follow his lead. He is not really a bad person"_

 _He was trying to defend his brother._

" _Why did you defend me?"_

 _Lorrayne couldn't help but being curious. She didn't know this boy and yet he had stood up for her._

" _You seem nice" was the short answer she received from him_

" _Thank you" she said "You seem nice too" her face turned a little pink at this_

 _From that moment on Lorrayne started spending more and more time with Jon Snow. They walked together, played together, talked and joked. They could spend the entire day in each other's company without getting bored._

 _He would defend her when the other boys were mean to her, and she would cheer him up whenever she was sad for something Lady Stark has said._

 _Soon, they were inseparable._

(Present time)

Lorrayne smile at the memory. That was the first time she has spoken to Jon and she would always tease him about it. He was her knight in shining armor.

She never before admitted it to anyone, although she was pretty sure her brother knew already, but she has had feeling for Jon almost from the very beginning.

She never dared to confess it, much less to him. She knew she wasn't pretty when she was younger, and fear of rejection was always very strong.

But then again, she wasn't that little girl anymore, and she wasn't an ugly duckling anymore either.

Lorrayne had grown up to be a beautiful and strong young woman.

She thought to her arrival to Winterfell. She would see her friend very soon. Would their relationship be any different now that they weren't little anymore? Could they have a chance to be more than just friends?

A small smile appeared in her face.

Lorrayne could not wait to find out.

* * *

(Jon' POV)

(Winterfell)

It had been a week since the falcon brought new of Lorrayne's impending arrival at Winterfell, and Jon grew more and more anxious with every passing day.

Despite writing to each other often, he hadn't seen his friend in years, since they were both thirteen years old.

They were just children back then, but their friendship was one of the most real things Jon had in his life. He always felt like he could be himself with Lorrayne, that she wouldn't judge him nor reject him. She was unconditional.

He never knew how she did it, but she always knew what he was thinking, or feeling.

He sat back, his shoulders resting on the headboard of his bed, as a memory flowed in his head

 _(Flashback)_

 _A thirteen year old Jon was sitting down underneath the Weirdwood Tree in the Godswood, a sad expression on his face, when he felt a presence close by. He lifted his eyes and saw her_

 _Lorrayne._

 _She and her brother had come to Winterfell for Sansa's name day, and they were staying there for some time._

 _If it had been any other person Jon would have said he had no wish for company and walked away. But it was her. His best friend._

 _She approached him quietly and sat down next to him. Her round cheeks were flushed from the cold wind of the North, and the heavy fur cloak made her look bigger than she actually was._

" _Lady Stark?" she asked softly_

 _Jon didn't answer. His silence confirmed what she already suspected._

" _What did she say this time?" Lorrayne was stubborn since forever and she pressed him for an answer. She knew that Jon had the tendency to keep his feeling locked up, and that it wasn't good for him._

" _Nothing I don't already know" sadness flowed in Jon's voice_

" _And what would that be?"_

 _Jon looked at her, his eyes clouded, the spark in them somehow missing_

" _I don't belong here Lora. Winterfell will never be my place" it was a sad thought, one that haunted Jon constantly_

" _Winterfell is your home Jon" she tried to reassure him_

" _No it's not. Winterfell is the seat of the Starks, and I'm a Snow. A bastard. I shouldn't be here at all"_

" _Snow is just a name. A simple word. It doesn't define who you are" she said strongly_

" _Oh really?" anger replaced sadness in his voice "Then why is it that everyone look at me differently? Why is it that they are always whispering behind my back Lora? I hear them… I see them… and I'm sick of it!"_

 _Lorrayne turned her body to face him and put her hand over his._

" _Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?" she asked him with a gentle voice "You're special Jon, I see that every day. You're loyal and honorable; you're kind, funny, intelligent and brave"_

" _You're saying that to make me feel better"_

" _I am. Doesn't mean that I'm lying though" she smiled "You are all of those things and more. And if Winterfell is not the place for you, then we'll find another place"_

" _We?" he asked her surprised_

" _Yes, we. You're my best friend, and I care about you, very much. If this is not your home, we'll find a new one"_

" _You would come with me?" Lorrayne nodded. "Where?"_

" _Anywhere" she said simply_

 _Jon looked at her for a moment and then he let out a hearty laugh, and the spark in his eyes came back._

" _You're crazy. Did you know that?" he said while smiling_

" _Maybe" Lorrayne laughed too, happy to see her friend smiling as well "But I did manage to put a smile on that serious face of yours"_

" _You always manage to do that. I have no idea how" Jon had to admit no one made him laugh like Lorrayne. Her presence was always refreshing and comforting._

" _It's a secret" she said with mischief_

 _Jon couldn't help but smile again._

 _They stayed in the Godswood the entire afternoon, just talking and laughing._

 _For a moment, Jon felt like he truly belonged there._

(Present time)

Jon was smiling just thinking about that memory.

He snapped out of his thought by the sound of the bells ringing.

He practically jumped off his bed, straightened his clothes and smoothed his wild hair. He nearly ran to the courtyard.

The rest of the Starks were there too, ready to welcome their guests

His father approached him

"One of the guards spotted a small party coming down the hill. They bare the sigil of House Arryn" he told him with a knowing smile on his face

Ned Stark knew his sons, and he knew that Jon and Lorrayne shared a deep bond.

"Are you excited to see your friend again?"

"I am. I've missed her" he answered distractedly. Jon was never a very eloquent person

"I've always wondered…" Lord Stark made an effort to find the right words to phrase this "Do you have any… feelings for Lady Lorrayne?"

"Of course I did. She's my best friend" Jon was confused about his father's question

"What I meant was… Do you have any romantic feelings for Lorrayne?" Ned Stark decided that being frontal was the only way to get an answer out of his son

"Romantic? Of course not father. She's my friend, it's not like that" his face turned red at the thought

Ned just looked at him, his eyebrows raised

"I believe him" said Theon, who had been listening to their conversation "She is not pretty at all. She is fat, ugly and clumsy. Who could ever feel attracted to that?" he snickered

"Shut the hell up Greyjoy" Jon flared with anger

"Lady Lorrayne is my guest, and she is going through difficult times. You will show her the kindness and respect she deserves, or you will answer to me directly" Lord Stark addressed Theon with a harsh tone

Taken aback by this, Theon did nothing but nod and lower his head

In that moment, the gates opened

They all gathered to take a look at the visitors

Six riders galloped in, baring the colors of House Arryn. They were dresses warmly, in fur cloaks and hoods over their heads to keep the wind away. The horses they mounted were marvelous, specially the one in the middle, a dapple grey stallion with the poise of a warhorse.

They made a little round up and they came to a full stop, the horses kicking the ground with their hooves.

Jon's eyes scanned the riders quickly. It was clear that none of them was Lorrayne; she would be easy to see. He was waiting for a carriage to cross the gates, but it never came.

Instead, the rider in the dapple grey stallion dismounted gracefully and stepped forward towards his lord father. When he was right in front of him, he stopped and took of his hood slowly.

That was the moment when Jon's mouth hit the floor. His eyes opened as much as they physically could, trying to take in the sight before him.

Midnight color hair, curly and soft, and tied in a loose braid hanging over one shoulder. Soft green eyes with flickers of stormy grey. Gentle feminine curves under the cloak, and glistening ivory skin.

Gone was that awkward chubby girl he had known.

The young woman that stood in front of his father was the most beautiful woman Jon had ever seen.

And the longer he stared at her face, the more he realized it was her… it was really her. His best friend.

Lorrayne.

 **And that was it for now**

 **If you can please leave a review, I read all of them. I appreciate any advice or ideas about what you would like to see in the story**

 **Until next time! :)**


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